Surface unit assembly



L. C. HANSON SURFACE UNIT ASSEMBLY Nov. 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 27, 1964 INVENTOR- C HLZHJO m Zero L. c. HANSON SURFACE UNITASSEMBLY Nov. 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Filed Jan. 27, 1964 HIHHH.TIIIIIIIIIIII (Illlllill! United States Patent 3,284,612 SURFACE UNITASSEMBLY Leroy C. Hanson, Elmhurst, Ill., assignor to Ferro Corporation,a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,320 2 Claims.(Cl. 219-455) This invention relates to electrical surface units andmore particularly to an assembly of elements making up such a unit andsuitable for installation in a cook top.

It is the general object of the present invention to produce a new anduseful surface unit of the character described.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to produce asurface unit assembly made up of a novel combination of elements toproduce a surface unit having a wide variety of applications.

While it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that thenovel assembly of elements comprising the surface unit of the presentinvention can be used with advantage in a number of situations, it isparticularly useful in providing an assembly which can readily beincorporated into the basic structure of a gas stove to produce anelectric stove or may be used to convert a gas stove into an electricstove. Thus, a manufacturer of gas stoves can use a large number of thebasic parts forming a gas range, and then by utilization of the assemblyof the present invention complete the stove, thereby providing anelectric range but utilizing basic parts which have theretofore beenutilized in producing a gas range. As a correlary feature to those notedabove, the surface unit assembly of the present invention includes acoiled electrical heating element having downwardly extending terminalsof the plug-in type thereby to provide an electrical surface unit whichcan readily be removed and replaced for cleaning and other purposes.

Other and further advantages and objects of the present invention willbe readily apparent from the following description and drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the surface unit assembly incorporating thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view partially broken away for clarity ofillustration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the various parts of the assembly shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail a specific embodiment, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a heating assemblyinstalled in a cook top, a portion of which is indicated at 11 having arectangular opening 12 therein. Formed as a part of the cook top andsurrounding the opening 12 is an inwardly extending supporting lip 13.

Adapted to be supported on the lip 13 is a platform panel 14 having anedge portion 15 from which extend a plurality of fingers 16 adapted torest on the upper surface of the lip 13. The platform panel 14 isprovided with a pair of generally rectangular apertures 17, each havingcorner-bridging supporting ledges 18 adapted to support the electricalsurface unit as hereinafter described. Also secured to one side of theedge portion 15 is a spring 19 which serves to hold the platform panelin position in the opening 12 but to permit the ready withdrawaltherefrom for cleaning of the apparatus.

Positioned beneath the platform panel is a spillage pan 20 having in itsbottom a pair of raised portions 21, each having a hole 22 therein. Theupper edge of the spillage pan is provided with an outwardly extendingrim 23 having a plurality of notches 24 therein, each notchaccommodating a finger 16 so that both the platform panel and thespillage pan are supported on the lip 13.

Positioned beneath the holes 22 are terminal blocks 25, the blocks beingaligned with the holes 22 so as to receive the downwardly extendingterminals 26a and 26b, and 27a and 2712, provided on the coiled surfaceunits 26 and 27, respectively.

The surface units are supported in position in the aperture 17 by meansof spiders 28 and 29 resting upon the ledges 18 heretofore described.

From the foregoing it can be seen that the assembly of the presentinvention can be applied to a variety of uses and installations. Theopening 12 can be the opening in any form of cook top including, forexample, not only the gas stove hereinbefore mentioned, but also almostany flat surface upon which it is desired to mount an electrical surfaceunit. It is merely necessary to provide a support such as the lip 13 orits equivalent and to provide a firm mounting for the terminal blocks inposition to receive the terminals of the electrical units.

I claim:

1. A surface unit assembly for use on a cook top having a generallyrectangular opening therein provided with an inwardly extending lip,said assembly comprising in combination, a generally rectangularplatform panel having a plurality of fingers extending therebeneath andengaging the lip at spaced areas to support said panel in said opening,said panel having a pair of generally square apertures therein,corner-bridging ledges at each corner of said square apertures, a springmounted on the edge portion of the panel at one end thereof and engagingthe edges of said opening resiliently to retain the panel therein, aspillage pan positioned beneath said apertures and having an outwardlyextending notched rim resting on said lip with said fingers positionedin the notches of the rim, a pair of raised portions in the bottom ofsaid pan generally centrally located beneath said square apertures witheach of said raised portions being provided with a hole therein, aterminal block below said hole and aligned therewith, and a coiledheating unit having downwardly extending terminals received in saidterminal block when said heating unit is supported in the aperture bysaid ledges.

2. A surface unit assembly for use on a cook top having a generallyrectangular opening therein provided with an inwardly extending lip,said assembly comprising in combination, a generally rectangularplatform panel having a plurality of fingers extending therebeneath andengaging the lip at spaced areas to support said panel in said opening,said panel having a pair of generally square apertures therein, a springmounted on the edge portion of the panel at one end thereof and engagingthe edges of said opening resiliently to retain the panel therein, aspillage pan positioned beneath said apertures and having an outwardlyextending notched rim resting on said lip with said fingers positionedin the notches of the rim, a pair of raised portions in the bottom ofsaid pan generally centrally located beneath said square apertures witheach of said raised portions being provided with a hole therein, aterminal block below said hole and aligned therewith, and a coiledheating unit having downwardly extending terminals received in saidterminal block when said heating unit is positioned in said aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD M. WOOD,Primary Examiner.

10 L. H. BENDER, Assistant Examiner.

2. A SURFACE UNIT ASSEMBLY FOR USE ON A COOK TOP HAVING A GENERALLYRECTANGULAR OPENING THEREIN PROVIDED WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING LIP,SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A GENERALLY RECTANGULARPLATFORM PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF FINGERS EXTENDING THEREBENEATH ANDENGAGING THE LIP AT SPACED AREAS TO SUPPORT SAID PANEL IN SAID OPENING,SAID PANEL HAVING A PAIR OF GENERALLY SQUARE APERTURES THEREIN, A SPRINGMOUNTED ON THE EDGE PORTION OF THE PANEL AT ONE END THEREOF AND ENGAGINGTHE EDGES OF SAID OPENING RESILIENTLY TO RETAIN THE PANEL THEREIN, ASPILLAGE PAN POSITIONED BENEATH SAID APERTURES AND HAVING AN OUTWARDLYEXTENDING NOTCHED RIM RESTING ON SAID LIP WITH SAID FINGERS POSITIONEDIN THE NOTCHES OF THE RIM, A PAIR OF RAISED PORTIONS IN THE BOTTOM OFSAID PAN GENERALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED BENEATH SAID SQUARE APERTURES WITHEACH OF SAID RAISED PORTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOLE THEREIN, ATERMINAL BLOCK BELOW SAID HOLE AND ALIGNED THEREWITH, AND A COILEDHEATING UNIT HAVING DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING TERMINALS RECEIVED IN SAIDTERMINAL BLOCK WHEN SAID HEATING UNIT IS POSITIONED IN SAID APERTURE.